Apprentice Controls Technician - 2nd Shift

About the role

SpaceX is actively developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. The apprentice controls technician will support the build-up and maintenance of data and control systems, including data acquisition and control hardware, wiring, interface harnesses, and instrumentation. This team's goal is to meet test requirements for safe, economical, and reliable access to space.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, calibrate, configure, monitor, test, troubleshoot, install, and repair instrumentation, process controls, data acquisition systems, and electrical systems
• Investigate, diagnose, correct, and document instrumentation or system malfunctions
• Lay out, build, test, troubleshoot, repair, and modify developmental and production electrical and electronic units, assemblies, components, parts, equipment, and systems
• Perform wire terminations to a variety of instruments and verify sensor health: pressure transducers, thermocouples, valves, limits, and flow meters
• Adjust, calibrate, align, and modify circuitry and components, and record effects on unit performance
• Read and interpret planning documents, schematics, wiring diagrams, specifications, drawings, manuals, blueprints, and engineering sketches

Requirements

• Associate's degree in instrumentation, control technology, electrical systems, or related field
• Experience working with instrumentation such as pressure transducers, thermocouples, valves, flow meters, multimeters, or oscilloscopes (experience from college program counts)

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with instrumentation: resistance temperature devices (RTDs), silicon diode temperature devices, strain gauges, load cells, displacement transducers, pressure transducers, thermocouples, and flow meters (turbine, coriolis, and ultrasonic)
• IPC 620 spec for harness assembly
• Basic knowledge of Wheatstone Bridge Theory, Ohm's Law, and DC electronics
• Operational knowledge of oscilloscopes, multimeters, soldering, crimping tools, wire stripping, continuity testing, pinning military connectors, cable routing, tie wrapping, drilling, tapping, and building junction boxes
• System-level troubleshooting skills and logical problem-solving for instrumentation systems
• Experience with Variable Frequency Drives, motor starters, and troubleshooting
• Knowledge of signal conditioning for sensors: thermocouple Types K, S, and E; TC bonding (resistance weld and adhesive); TC probes; cold junction compensation
• Experience with DC power supplies, DC-DC converters, UPS installations, heat shrink tubing, cable harnessing, lacing, and strain relief
• Working knowledge of transducers, operational amplifiers, and measurement techniques for temperature, pressure, flow, displacement, vibration, and strain gauges
• Ability to set up data acquisition equipment and define test parameters
• Knowledge of bus architectures (PCI/PCIe, PXI/PXIe, GPIB, Serial, USB) and data communication technologies
• Project planning capabilities, including task breakdowns, milestones, and reviews
• Intermediate skill level using Windows OS and Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, OneNote)
• Knowledge of data acquisition concepts, hardware, and interfacing (SCXI and PXI-based)

Additional Requirements

• Standard shift: Monday–Friday, 1 PM–11 PM (flexibility required; may include extended hours, weekends, or varied schedules based on operational needs)
• Work in tight quarters requiring physical dexterity
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds unassisted
• Job duties may require standing, kneeling, crouching, twisting, working in cramped positions, climbing hand over hand, and working at elevated heights
• Exposure to extreme outdoor environments (heat, cold, rain), fumes, odors, and noise
• Willingness to travel up to 10% to other SpaceX locations
• Valid driver’s license
• Must comply with U.S. Government export regulations (ITAR); applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, or eligible for required authorizations